Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0502:51 AM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0505:53 AM

Through most of my life cars have never meant much to me other than a means of getting from point a to point b. So in most cases I won't be able to tell the year of the vehicle.

Pre marriage
Dodge Dart (push button atomatic)
Volkswagon Bug

Week after marriage:

Sold the bug and me and the wife buy a 69 Dodge Van w/ curtains, platform bed, cabinets, under bed storage for camping gear, and we totally outfit it for our trek across the country.

Toyota Corolla SR5 coupe

The Children Years

First child on the way
Honda Wagon (good for a few years)
Third child on the way
For the next 17 years or so I'm driving
Doge Caravans or Plymouth Voyager's
I think we went through 3 or 4 of these (funtion over everything)But we can no longer exist as a one car family
During this time wife gets a Mazda MX6. I get to drive the Kiddie Shuffle
First child begins to drive and gets her first car.
The last Caravan get totalled
I refuse to drive a Caravan any longer
1998 Nissan Pathfinder (no longer feel like a wuss)I love this vehicle.
2003 Youngest of my 3 gets license and Nissan re-introduces the z car after 7 or 8 years absence. Every morning I pass a big billboard on the way to work with a picture
of that Z. All of a sudden I'm interested in cars like never before.
Sooo

What everyone likes to call Dad's late middle age crisis years

I get a 2003 350Z
Pass on the Pathfinder to my son
Not even six months later my son totals my beloved Pathfinder.
To this day my son does not know where I keep the keys to the 350. There will be no Ferris Buellar's day off in my house.

This also explains the oz350z handle. After buying the car the first forums I ever joined other than industry related were Nissan Z car related forums. So I like to use one handle to keep things simple.

Now I am working on the wife for the only thing I have wanted all my life and that is a Harley Davidson.

I'm also driving Axiom M60ti's very nicely thanks you. I like driving these every chance I get.
oz

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0507:25 AM

Make fun if you want, but having never owned a muscle or sports car, or even one with much personality, I like my Voyager and plan on another Chrysler mini-van when this one dies. I need the space for hauling business-related equipment, and it's got power everything and the Infinity 10-speaker audio system.

Oh, who am I kidding?

What most would consider their most boring vehicle, I consider my finest.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0511:46 AM

Not fun at all, thanks... This is a story on the dangers of poorly mastered CDs... and stupid college graduates.

Basically I was driving home from work, in medium Bay Area traffic. I wanted to get home a little faster, so I was pushing the pace a bit. I put in my Gary Hoey CD. This CD is the brightest, most poorly mastered piece of crap I have ever heard. I looked down to turn down the treble because lord, my ears, they were bleeding. Ooops. Bang, rear ended a woman.

Fortunately, neither of us were hurt and my insurance took care of her car. However, since I was a bit low on cash, I hadn't gotten collision on my car. The really irritating thing was that I had just gotten a new clutch (lovely, wonderful, marvelous clutch) and had 3 days previous finally gotten the high idle problem which had plagued the car since long before I got it. Before Peter had it, too...

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0501:21 PM

First off, I'm jealous of you folks w/ the 60's muscle cars. Oh how I'd love a 65 GTO, convertible would be icing. I had to Tivo Rides on Discovery HD last nite because Joe Rogan was getting his custom 'Cuda done by the guy who built Chicane.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0501:38 PM

Owned...List forthcoming

Driven: Entirely different animal given what my folks drove

Never got to drive the 1968 Ford Thunderbird...all I remember was it was fast...I think it had the 428 in it. Green 1972 Ford Maverick (My Dad kept alive and put close to half a million miles on it driving into Dallas everyday)
70 something Mercury Montego Station Wagon (faux wood on the sides and all - reminiscient of the Family Wagon Cruiser from National Lampoon's Vacation) - present from Grandmother
Green 1975 Napalm on Wheels (Ford Pinto Hatchback)
Purple 1975 Napalm on Wheels + 2 (Ford Pinto Wagon)

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0501:52 PM

Honestly, I only miss three of them; the Charger, the Coronet and the '70 'Velle.

The charger was a hemi-car...one of six or seven hundred made and the only hobby on that list that I didn't lose my proverbial shirt on. Every time I see one on a television "muscle car" type show I have to wonder...Those that were supposed to know told me that there were only a couple of hundred left when I owned it. The RT was almost as rare due to some oddball late model-year drive train combinations and was by far the most meticulously restored project out of my humble stable (due mostly to the fact that I owned it the longest). It still lives in the same town as me and I try to buy it back every few years or so but the current owner claims to have "burnt the bloody title to that ride". The 'Velle SS was just fun sporting it's 454 built to insane specs. I have many good memories about cruising town Saturday nights and shaking the storefront windows on Main Street. THAT was my idea of car audio.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0502:55 PM

OK here we go

1979 Honda Prelude (ahh the memories)

1986 YUGO, yah that's right YUGO. This was the best car ever. I bought it with 6000 miles on it for $500. It was therapy on wheels. My friends and I all drove junkers for our first cars (some of us still do) and it became almost a contest who could have the most ridiculous. Let me tell you friends I was top of the list with this 4 on the floor badboy. It had a broken exhaust so it sounded like a completely hyped out Porsche. We would be buckled over in laughter every time we got in this car. I would drive the thing like Mario Andretti all around town and people would always look thinking they were going to see some $50K sports car and then they would see the cheapest car ever, rolling by with a bunch of kids all bent over laughing themselves to death. It was awesome.

1985 Honda CRX SI

1988 Chevy S-10 4.3L (this thing was so light and peppy that it would do a mini burn out just when you would drop it into gear)

1986-7 Chevy El-Camino. Come on girls you know you love these ones. (Every girl I have ever known says these were the biggest chick anti-magnets ever built). Still loved the car though. . I mean come on. Its a car and a pickup truck. SWEET. I actually ended up turning this car around for a nice little profit. I have never received so many calls on a Saturday morning as the day I put that badboy in the paper.

1988 Volkswagon GTI and a 1986 Yamaha Virago 700. El Camino allowed me to split and buy both. Had a ton of issues with the VW and vowed never to buy a VW again.

1986 Volkswagon Sirroco. It was a great deal ok! Had a ton of issues and vowed NEVER to buy a VW again.

1993 Ford Escort LX Car I owned the longest which I can't believe. Stopped buying and selling cars every 8 months because this one ran so good or I got tired of haggling with people.

1992 Honda Civic DX. The escort died or nearly and I inherited the wifes car that she would not drive anymore due to it being such a beater. (Can't kill these damn Hondas)

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0503:06 PM

Ooooh, I forgot:
I owned a GTI for two hours..... my two hours of impracticality among a lifetime of ho-humobiles.

The dealer assured me that the oil light was on because of a faulty sending unit. I bought it on my lunch hour at work, and left work early that day. About eight miles from work and one mile from home, the engine seized. I walked home and called the bank to put stop payment on the check and called the dealer and told them where on the median they would find their car.

They offered to put a new engine in it but I didn't trust the mechanics at the dealership after that. I bought a new LeMans instead which got me where I needed to go for quite a few years.

Future? I like the Lotus Elise, not that I could see spending 40k+ on a car. I'm interested in the return of the Nissan Skyline GT-R in a couple of years as well. It is supposed to be back as part of the Infiniti line. We'll see what else. I figure I have about two years left before I am ready for a new vehicle.

On my wife's side, she has a Blue 2000 Audi A4 Quattro, which just got paid off this month!

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0505:09 PM

man, all you guys are junkies!! i've only had two vehicles, here's the short list...

1982 Ford F-100 pickup
1998 Mazda 626

i friggin' loved that truck like it was my kid. Ford's inline 6, 400 cc. it was my first ride, my Dad's old hunting truck, low miles but tons of character! but one day.... my wife was driving it...and she killed it. *sniff* i dont know what the hell she did (she swears up and down nothing) but that sucker was dead, i couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong. but since at that point i was driving about 90 miles roundtrip to work we got the Mazda short notice. i friggin hate this car, mostly 'cause it's not my truck. i'm looking at the Toyota Prius now, does anyone have one or any experience with them?

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0505:21 PM

In reply to:

Ford's inline 6, 400 cc. it was my first ride

Hey Ash, was that by any chance a 300 c.i. as opposed to a 400cc engine? My '85 F-150 had the inline 300 c.i., built like a tank engine. A 400 cc engine is what you'll see in a typical 4 stroke dirt bike.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0507:18 PM

>>Just curious... how many of us currently have a small car+a shooting brake (aka wagon)?

Does a Jeep and a Magnum with slide out gun drawers count ? I always wanted a shooting brake, now I finally have one. Only problem is that I end up taking the Jeep on most of the hunting trips because there are usually 20-30 miles of hydro trails between the road and the hunt camp...

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0507:24 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0507:35 PM

Hmmmmm......I'll be one of the first to swallow my embarrassment and pride and admit that I forgot what I used to know from reading Road And Track and Sports Car Graphics back in the 60s when some of the classic writers were still around.

I could Google it I suppose, but.....

But I'm afraid my mind is shot on shooting brakes, as much as I hate to admit it

I should add that I believe that it's a Brit term; and having owned an Austin Healey 100-6 and an MGB AND two Brit bikes. I.......gads it's embarrassing

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0509:00 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0509:16 PM

There you go Ken - I don't own a wagon - the Forester is a small SUV. A necessary evil for hauling 4 month old boys and all of their stuff around. Well, I guess I don't care if some people call it a wagon - it still is fun to drive - Even though my wife wouldn't let me get the turbo. I felt that if I had the turbo and could blow 3 series Beamers off the line my manhood would be redeemed somehow (although with the price of gas now, I'm glad we don't need premium)

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/25/0509:17 PM

Oh....Ok;.... I'll raise my hand now

I have a small car.(A Jeep Wrangler is "Short" if not "Light" so I think it qualifies)and a "Shooting Brake" as well.

Strangely enough; I still tend to use the old "Station Wagon" term(along with the vision of "Picking up folks and baggage at the railway station" in the 40s or early 50s. Like in a "Popular Mechanix" story of the era.)

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/26/0512:57 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/26/0501:06 PM

I loved all my old rods, and still enjoy tweaking to some extent. With businesses to manage, a full time job and family, time is now a luxury that I don’t have much of. Building race engines and hot street/strip engines is a passion of mine, but again, time……just can’t do it anymore. So for the last several years I’ve been buying new and leaving the restorations/modifying on the back burner. I have a straight rust free 62 vette without drive train that one of these days, I plan to built a stainless frame and retrofit a C-4 suspension and aluminum 542 CID big block into…..but that won’t happen for a few years.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/26/0501:27 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/26/0504:49 PM

I was never a fan of spending a lot of money on something that, for as quickly as they wear out, costs so much and depreciates so fast. Don't get me wrong, I would love to drive a new Dodge Charger, or Accura TL or something, but until someone gives me the $40,000 (average between those two) to buy one, I will still with what I have (for now) and spend my cash on other stuff that are more long lived and will provide more enjoyment in my life, like my home theater, or finishing my basement, or the home addition planned for 2 years from now...

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/26/0506:25 PM

I'm not going to try to remember all that I've,it must be at least 20 cars and trucks.Anyway,my first car was a 1941 Ford convertable,that I fixed up and had it all trough college,53to 58.I now drive an old mans car , an 04 Lexus ES 330.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/26/0506:50 PM

Ah.....41 was a good year for cars. Our family car was a dandy 41 Olds. Was still running well in '50 when we got a new one. My brother was driving his chopped and channeled 39 Pontiac at the time. It was a fun ride

I just remembered the racoon tail on the antenna and the speed knob on the steering wheel. Made our car seem kinda ordinary. Also had some kind odd blue coloration on the chrome and a fancy sun visor.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/27/0512:00 PM

1st car was a 75 or 76 (whichever was the first year of the rabbit) LIME GREEN 4 door Volkswagon Rabbit that I bought for $500.00. It put out a smoke screen that James Bond would have been proud of.
Engine parts would fall off that thing while it sat in the driveway overnight. By the time I sold it both motor mounts had broken and the engine was hanging by a length of chain on each side. When I drove it on smooth pavement, it would shake and shimmy like I was off road in a shockless jeep.
Sold it for $500.00 with over 100,000 miles on it.

2nd car was a 78 Mazda GLC. This car, no matter how hard I drove it, just wouldnt break down. I rolled it doing 75MPH (which was as fast as it would go) one night. My dad and I then found a junked out one and rebuilt it with the different body parts. By the time I sold it it had over 200,000 miles on it.
My parents said the girl I sold it to drove it for at least another 2 years.

3rd car was a 86 Mazda 323 that I drove for 9 years and put over 150,000 miles on.
I traded it in on what I drive now and have driven for 10 years tomorrow...........

MY 4th vehicle, a 96 4x4 King Cab Toyota Tacoma with over 200,000 miles on it.
It still runs great and doesnt burn a drop of oil.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/27/0501:08 PM

My wife's 91 Honda Civic was a mafor piece of crap. So was my Suzuki RF900R - with the added headache of a company that won't stand behind their product when it is an obviously flawed design (as evidenced by hackneyed reworkings of the same flawed component in successive model years). My Yamaha Waveraider 1100 suffered from a flawed fuel delivery design which caused the third cylinder to run lean and hot - seizing multiple times. Corrected in current models.
If it makes you feel better to own "imported" vehicles then go for it, but I have no more faith in Japanese engineering than that of any other country (except China and England ).

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/27/0502:23 PM

My current daily driver is imorted; bought it back in '87, ancient near stone age technology, not much to go wrong-even has a carburetor and absolute minimal electronics.

Imported.......

....from Canada.

Last of the AMC Jeeps, old 4.2 litre six.(right out of the '56 Nash I believe) You can fix it with "Bronson Rocks"

Remember the old TV show "Along Came Bronson"? He used to crash his Harley into the bottom of a 500 ft. ravine and smack it back into good repair with whatever old rock he found lying around. Old Jeeps can be fixed that way.....My 71 Harley couldn't....I sold it and bought another Triumph....still have the Triumph over thirty years later. The Harley though is still a fond memory.

I was running out of countries!Only major country left in auto mfg was Italy, and being half Italian, I know bettern' that

I went for a ride thru the fields of my Uncles farm in a half Navy, half Army, cobbled together WWII Jeep. We were riding out to his airplane to check out the cattle situation back in the timber. It was a day in summer 1948 that forever caught my attention.

The AMC Wrangler came out in 86 and it was civilized just enough that I was able to convince the Wife that yes, she may actually be somewhat comfortable ocassionally in what was to be my back and forth to work four wheeled motorcycle. Which is what it was, and still is even today: my daily driver never to be seen with a top or doors. Took delivery in April '87 and haven't had a serious complaint all these years.

Had no choice where to buy it; only came from one place: A US company half owned by the French, assembled in Canada.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/27/0510:33 PM

>>Which is what it was, and still is even today: my daily driver never to be seen with a top or doors.

Geez, you must live somewhere with less weather than Toronto. I had three inches of water in the bottom of my Jeep a week or so ago, just driving home from work. That was *with* the top on but no back or side window panels.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/27/0511:22 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/27/0511:39 PM

bigwill2, I'm sorry you've had bad luck with imports, but it's unfair of you to lump all "so called" imports together. As you see I'm on my fifth Honda, and have had virtually no problems with any of them. But would it surprise you to know that EVERY one of them was either built in Ontario or Ohio?

What bothers me are the flag wavers that criticize me for buying a so called "import", yet have no idea where their "domestic" vehicle was actually made. For example:

And this was just doing a quick search. You are right, I wouldn't feel better buying any of the above "imports". I feel very strongly about putting money back into our own economy. At least I kept one local guy working for one more day, because of my choice to buy a domestic built car, instead of a domestic car built elsewhere.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/27/0511:59 PM

newf, I'm in the same Honda boat - tires, brakes, muffler. That's it. But to say that you will NEVER buy a big 3 again is pretty short sided. If I found a 4 door Chev/Geo Prism cheap enough, I'd buy it! It's a re-badged Toyota Corolla from the California plant. (At the time, all North American Corolla's were being built in Ontario, or the sister plant in California)

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0501:22 AM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0505:11 AM

What gets me is that these vehicles are manufactured in different countries to take advantage of 'cheap' labor, but the vehicles are still overpriced. I would probably buy a vehicle from the big 3 depending on the deal I could get, and if I could sit in the darn thing. That brings me to a pet peeve of mine. I have a physical problem, you know the old multiple herniated disk thing and hard seats cause me nerve pain. There are very few newer vehicles I can actually sit in for an extended period of time. So, for this reason, when I need a vehicle I usually look for something with the most comfortable seats I can find, which means it will probably be an old clunker. I remember 'back in the day' when you could buy and Olds, Buick or Caddie and you wouldn't have to worry about comfort. It's been awhile since this has been true. Have you seen some of these vehicles? I can actually go to a dealership and look through the windows of the cars and tell if I could actually stand to sit in it. End of rant.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0507:29 AM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0507:46 AM

I had never thought of the problem of back pain thru injury and comfortable car seats. I wonder if any of the prosthetics manufacturers have? Perhaps there is something out there that is near infinitly adjustable that fits a few generic seat dinensions that may be transferable from a limited range of vehicles?

But it is amazing of how the number of comfortable car seats has actually dwindled over the years.....I wonder if it's safety related or what?(too many design constraints limiting the available options?)

With an increase in ergonomics development you'd think there would be a corresponding increase in seating comfort

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0512:10 PM

I reckon I am a "flag waver". I tear up regularly during the nat'l anthem. Especially during the Olympics. I suppose I have not yet been convinced by the powers that be to feel ashamed of my country. Oh well, maybe I need to watch more TV.
Is this how you commies feel when someone calls you a "Liberal"?

We all seem to have anecdotal evidence to support the views we have regarding cars and their country of origin, but I remember craigsub mentioning recently (he's in the business) that when they underwrite extended warranties for new cars, the anticipated repair costs for the imported and domestic cars are roughly equal (luxury imports excepted). I'm guessing these folks have more to base their assumptions on than a handful of vehicles their freinds and family have owned.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0503:19 PM

I certainly wouldn't presume to speak for anyone else on the board, for me it really has zero to do with love of country or anything else along those lines. When the time comes to spend my hard-earned money, it just makes sense to me to buy a superior product. Great big caveat here: FOR ME PERSONALLY, it seems misguided to purchase (and therefore reward poor quality) an item based on any sense of patriotism. My Charger was absolutely useless and I was thrilled to find it crushed by a tree one afternoon. On the other hand, I'd probably have to shoot my Honda to make it stop running. When the time comes to buy again, Honda's getting my money.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0505:53 PM

well said. I am totally against out-sourcing, but when it comes to a product I will only buy quality. Thankfully Axiom was also Canadian.

As for the comfortable seats due to an injury is a very good point. I suffer from a bad neck from a a car accident that broke part of my neck years ago. I was driving a Honda at the time, and I loved my Honda's. But every Honda I've sat in since year 2000 I can't stand to sit in their seats for very long. My father still has a 2003 accord coupe with leather seats, and a 30 min drive in it kills my back. But, my cheaper, cloth seats of my Mazda provide me with pain free support for hours. Different for everyone I guess.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0506:24 PM

I guess you didn't get my point.
I'm saying there is no reason to expect higher quality from Honda than a domestic manufacturer. The days of built in obsolescence are over. I wish I had a dollar for every derelict import I've driven by in my American-made pickup trucks.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0507:18 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0507:39 PM

In reply to:

I'm saying there is no reason to expect higher quality from Honda than a domestic manufacturer.

No, no -- I got your point. At least I think so. But an automobile is usually the second largest purchase most people will ever make, and if you've been burned then it's unlikely you'll return to that particular marque. Your experience with imports has been uniformly negative, and therefore any future actions you may take as a consumer will be based on what you've personally observed. That makes perfect sense -- I'm doing precisely the same thing.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0510:30 PM

Hey...Welcome back; John.

We trust you had a pleasant trip, hope so anyway.

Didn't you say you were driving the Mountaineer? That would certainly be a good way to see lots of family.

I'd like to see the Axiom family next month, but some 60 hours for the six of us in my Wifes little shooting brake...(if you missed it earlier in this thread....ask Ken)dosen't sound like any fun at all.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/28/0511:28 PM

Bigwill2, my comment was about flag wavers with no clue. They spout off how THEY support their country by buying American, but in all actuality gave someone in Mexico or Korea a job. Every Honda I've owned kept someone here working. As much as I love Honda, if it wasn't made here, I'm not buying it.

Most extended warranties are powertrain only. And you are right, most of the big 3's powertrains are just as reliable as anyone else's. (except for the 2.7L Chrysler - do a search, it's hilarious) But, I can count at least 10 people I know who own "big3", and are constantly back to the dealer for problems with power windows, cruise, heated seats, power sliding doors, computer modules, and so on. I don't have these issues with Honda.

Having said all that, it doesn't mean I'm blinded by Honda to everything else. I'm sure I'll own another GM product down the road. The new Impala SS really appeals to me. Plain jane family 4door that goes virtually unnoticed, but has a smoking 300hp V8 underhood. Even quicker than it's 409ci/425hp namesake. And if I ever buy a truck, a GM or Ford it will be. Honda's truck is a joke.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/29/0509:36 AM

Comfortable seats are definitely key. Ian surprised me with a new Jeep at Christmas (I only asked for chocolate!!!) and had ordered a 2005. It arrived at the dealership on December 23rd and he sat in it for all of 10 seconds before panicking - had the dealership track down a 2004 with one day to go before closing so that we would have the same comfortable seats our old 2000 Jeep had. The 2005 has gone away from that model of seat and he said it was such a noticable difference that he wouldn't have bought the car because of it. Of course, every drive we take involves long distances so comfort is king for us.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/29/0505:24 PM

I too have back problems. I actually just found out that I have three fractured vertebrae’s from an old injury that never healed. And an uncomfortable seat in a vehicle can be down right painful on long road trips. That being said, out of every vehicle I’ve ever owned, rented, road in or sat in (and there’s been a bunch, including some six digit imports), the most comfortable seats my but’s ever sat in was Volvo. Those Swedes know how to make a comfortable seat. I have furniture that’s made in Sweden too (Ekorness) and man they are nice. Expensive, but very nice and they last for decades.

The second most comfortable car seat for me is my latest truck. Not as comfortable as Volvo, but the extra leg and head room make up for it. I’m not a huge guy, but not average either (been lifting weights for 25 years). Y'all with back problems owe it to yourself to sit in one of the Denali trimmed GMC’s. They have the “ultra soft” leather and quite comfortable with padding in all the right places. I'm loving mine!

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/30/0504:17 PM

Been driving a 1994 Nissan 4X4 since 1994. 200K+ miles. Spent most of it's time in the rust belt. It is the only vehicle I've purchased. My consumerism only extends to audio, travel, and gifts for my lady.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/30/0507:14 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/30/0509:11 PM

Spiff, I'd have to ask my dad but I'm just about positive that Buick station wagon of yours is the car I learned to drive on. We were stationed in Germany and my dad took me off base and on one of the back roads around the closest village.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/30/0511:34 PM

Hey, I had a 1990 Dodge Daytona. I miss that car. It was fun to drive. I liked it mostly because there was a spot to rest your left foot during a long drive. I bet Spiff knows what I'm talking about. My son would be jealous if he knew you had a IROC Z.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 08/31/0501:23 AM

Wow, now that the ghetto-types are chiming in... I can reveal my tiny little list of cars...

1977 GMC Suburban (350 4BBL) - belonged to one of the drywallers, birds would (honestly!) fly up into it through the gaping holes in the rear wheel wells... lent it to my brother for a few months and he blew the transmission out of it. Paid - $200, sold parts off it, the rest to the wrecker for a total of $350.

1991 Pontiac Tempest (Beretta by any other name) - it's the S.O.'s but I'm on the ownership papers since I bought it for her. Paid - $3600.

1988 Pontiac 6000 - bought this off my dad this summer, was my grandfather's car and had 50,000 original KM (31,000 miles) and I couldn't stand seeing it sit idle in the garage.

How'd I get away with only 3 til now? Just got my license this summer. Been driving and riding without it until now. Since I wanted to insure the 6000 I had to get the license.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 09/01/0504:34 AM

Nah, I've never been in a car that was pulled over for any reason at all in Manitoba... ever.

I've spent what, about 3 weeks of my life in Saskatchewan, and been in cars that were pulled over twice... in SK, one headlight out is cause for a warning... both have to be out and you have to mow down at least 3 pedestrians for an MB cop to pull you over.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 09/01/0501:17 PM

I found this chart in this Consumer Reports article. What's far more interesting to me than the debate over American vs. Japanese is the fact that BMW and Mercedes do so poorly. Jags have always been spotty, but I guess I would have expected better from German engineering.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 09/01/0511:25 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 09/01/0511:34 PM

Yea those Contours are oddly fun to drive. I have a 99' Sport as well. They just need some good tires and they handle real nifty. My wife is driving it now. I am in a 04' Murano, the Contour is more fun, go figure. I have had

77 Cutlass Supreme Brougham
79 Crown Vic
85 Dodge Ram
85 Good Times Van (Ford)
90 Prelude
2002 Jetta
2000 Beetle
2001 Stratus
2003 Neon
96 Beetle---the old style in Mexico They just stopped making them this year, scary brakes but a cool ride
Iliked the Cutlass Prelude Contour and Murano, the others were either junkers or just a cheap ride.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 09/02/0508:02 AM

"The German cars are right down there with the American ones. The Japanese cars are the only ones that do well as far as reliability."

At least BMW *seems* to be doing something to remedy their problems, it looks as though the third model year has far less troubles than both the second and first years. That's a good sign. Actually my wife owned a little 318i back in the late ninties and other than me thinking it was cramped and didn't have much power it really was a very solid car.
We've got a couple close neighbors with BMWs, one has an M3 and the other has a 330. Both were in the shop a couple of times right after being purchased but after the bugs have been worked out both seem to be happy owners after a year or so....that is until the women who owns the 330 was rear-ended by another woman driving a Dodge 2500 4x4 a couple of weeks back. The Bimmer just didn't fare too well in that little ordeal!

What's more fun to speculate is my next car. In the next year or two I hope to get another convertible, but with the family, sounds like a four-seater will be the only way to satisfy the WAF, so no roadster redo. Probably an Infiniti G37 or BMW 3-series, then.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 02/28/1309:46 PM

Geez, I hope you guys with the long lists aren't doing this from memory. I'll split this up into several posts, because I like pictures (although these are not MY actual cars).

1966 Pontiac Grand Prix - 389 V8. Horrible gas mileage. Amazing interior. Vacuum Manifold Gauge. You could easily land a helicopter on the trunk. It really was this color.

1978 Chevrolet Malibu - hand-me-down from my Dad. Certainly the worst car I've ever owned and possibly one of the worst ever made. The only car I've ever driven that I liked less was a PT Cruiser. Mine was red. Yes, it had a vinyl top. Just horrible. I only drove it for a short time.

1981 Dodge Challenger - Actually, a Mitsubishi product with a torquey 2.6L 4 cylinder and 5-speed manual. An absolute blast to drive, which I did for about 13 years and 200k miles. Mine was blue over black.

1984 Toyota Corolla - at least it had a manual transmission. Good gas mileage. Like most/all cars, drove it until it was worthless.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 02/28/1310:09 PM

I feel such kinship. I (and my family) was also cursed with a 78 Malibu. Blue and rust. Drove it until the timing belt failed (which was fortunately not long after I got my driver's license). My poor parents bought it new. It died sometime in 95 or 96. Our was even worse, since it had the CA-emissions V6 in it.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/01/1312:02 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/01/1312:07 PM

Originally Posted By: tomtuttle

1981 Dodge Challenger - Actually, a Mitsubishi product with a torquey 2.6L 4 cylinder and 5-speed manual. An absolute blast to drive, which I did for about 13 years and 200k miles. Mine was blue over black.

I appreciate the effort with the photos, Tom. I was surprised how close a resemblance the Dodge Challenger bears to the Ford Mustang of that year:

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/01/1304:06 PM

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/01/1305:21 PM

Dan, I'm sure that you had explained your screen name before, but now it is finally resonating with me. Cool.

And my avatar is also my current helmet. There's a reason for almost everything!

I really enjoyed seeing the different histories of cars fellow Axiomoes have gone through. I am jealous of those that got to enjoy those late 60's and early 70's legendary muscle cars. It's neat how seemingly isolated facts are actually clues and pieces of a rich tale of one's history. This is a pretty cool thread.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/01/1306:15 PM

I believe that era of Mustang is fairly commonly referred to as a Douchestang. I never really thought of my Challenger as being similar (until now). I mean, I could make you a chart of the mechanical and perceived sociological differences, but I fear your mind is made up based on the aesthetics.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/01/1307:26 PM

Okay, here's the rest of my story. I'm obviously including cars that may have been primarily my wife's at one time or another, because WA is a community property state. The only one of these pictures that is actually "ours" is the SLK, but the colors are basically right except as noted.

1996 Toyota Camry – maybe the best all-around car we’ve ever owned. Everything about it was just “right”. And I still marvel at the balance of power and efficiency of that 2.4L engine. This was the last good-looking year for Camry’s, IMO. We’d probably still have this car if some idiot hadn’t run into my wife and son at 9:09 am on 9-9-99 on 9th Avenue. True story. They weren’t badly hurt, thank God.

1994 Mitsubishi Diamante – Just not up to the same engineering refinement as the Camry. It started to burn A LOT of oil at about 120k. Swore off Mitsubishis after that.

1999 Ford Windstar – you got two kids and a dog? Or maybe a photography business? You need a minivan. Had it until December 2012 and it was the epitome of useful. MANY happy miles with the family. Electrical system was possessed by demons, however.

2004 Toyota Corolla – First and only New car. Needed something that Mrs. Tuttle could roll up the miles on, as we had recently moved “farther” from school and swimming. This will be Alex’s car when he gets his license next month. Great car, for what it is. We’ve walked up to the wrong blue Corolla in a parking lot more times than I care to admit.

1994 Toyota Camry SE Coupe – used to be driven by a little, old lady (my Mother-in-law). Great car. I drove it for about 5 years and it is my daughter’s car, now. This was the first year of the coupe. Ours is blue.

2007 Acura MDX – having had access to a van for the last 12 years, my wife was completely unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the concept of “packing light”. Absolutely amazing vehicle in every way. Probably the best drivetrain of any car we’ve ever had, including the Mercedes. Unfortunately, that drivetrain is lugging around 2.5 tons of leather, plastic and metal. “Comfortable” doesn’t begin to describe it, and it was easily the most interesting driving experience of any SUV I auditioned.

Thanks for the appreciative inquiry. I enjoyed my stroll down memory lane.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/02/1312:47 PM

This has been a problem for us over the years. Below is a partial list (I have some bad memory sectors). This has been a problem for us over the years. Neither of us had any self control with cars and often contemplated selling organs to purchase a new car.

Sadly, our self control has not improved in retirement, PLUS our organs are now worth much less.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/03/1302:11 PM

1980 Chevy Citation - Basically my first car, nothing special but was a great car

I don't think I have ever seen those words together in a sentence before.

It really was... I think the V6 model was the POS. Ours was the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder with a 4 speed manual. To this day I've never driven any 2WD car that comes close to what it could do in the snow. In no way was it sexy and it had the typical domestic interior flaws but the chassis was solid. Believe me as a high school teen I tested it's capabilities for taking a beating.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/03/1310:22 PM

As a teen, I tested the ability of my Dodge Aries to go anywhere. It too was really impressive in it's abilities. I drove it back from Jacksonville Beach, FL to Western MD, in 11.5 hours. I don't know how fast I was going because the speedo only read up to 80. I literally held the accelerator to the floor for most of the trip. After I got back the alternator failed, the power steering pump started leaking, and the air con never worked again. The only belt-driven accessory that survived was the water pump.

Heck, even the RX-7 coupe was really amazing. I had a Jeep Wrangler swap ends in front of me in the snow. Not only did I keep the RX-7 pointed in the right direction, but I did it while swerving around the Jeep. I've taken the RX-8 out in the snow, but didn't push it too hard--it's too nice.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/06/1311:30 AM

How long do you all KEEP your cars? Some of you have went through a lot of them! The next question is...have you ended up hating most of your cars or do you just get sick of them and want change? I've kept mine until they became too expensive to keep fixing.

I ended up hating the first 2 cars. I bought them for the looks, and they were the only sporty cars I could afford at the time. The Honda was a rust bucket, and the Tiburon was loud in the interior and little things costing big money kept happening to it, so it was no longer worth keeping it. Now, that I'm older, I'm more practical too. I got an excellent deal on the Versa. Considering that it's a boring looking car, I love driving it WAY better than I ever liked driving the other two cars. The only thing I'm unhappy with the gas mileage. I drive mostly in the city, and Nissan rates it at 28 mpg. I'm consistently getting an average of 20 mpg. Granted, my driving habits aren't conservative, but I wouldn't expect to get that poor of gas mileage from this car.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/06/1310:03 PM

This might make me feel old...69 Impala 2 door. 327 engine that we took out of a wrecked school bus.75 Chev Monza with a 305 V8 from a pickup. Went like stink if you could keep it pointed in a straight line. Terrible idea.81 Challenger (like Tom's), but brown and white. I loved that car.88 Mustang 5 liter, 5 speed. Excellent, but the hard ride got old pretty quickly, and NOT winter friendly82 Dodge Omni for the winters.90 (I think) Chrysler Daytona (wife's car)86 Honda CRX (a blast)90 Mazda pickup89 Subaru wagon. Interesting: it didn't seem to have a model name.90 Eagle Talon Tsi AWD. Loved that one too.04 Subaru WRX wagon. Bought new and drove it for 9 happy years until last week.07 Impreza (wife's car) leased11 Forester (wife's car) leased, still in the garage2012 Kia Optima Hybrid. So far, I'm very happy with this. Just one week... But I know I'll miss the WRX.

Re: What vehicles have you owned? - 03/07/1307:52 AM

Originally Posted By: sonicfox

How long do you all KEEP your cars? Some of you have went through a lot of them! The next question is...have you ended up hating most of your cars or do you just get sick of them and want change? I've kept mine until they became too expensive to keep fixing.

In general, we keep them until several months of repairs exceed what new car payments would be, but other factors also apply:

then I got married in '89 and Mrs Classic brought to the mix a ...1979 FIat Strada - pumpkin orange... fuel supply issues made this one unreliable1986 Nissan 200SX (hers) - >175k miles - would actually love to have one of these again1993 Saturn SL1 (his) - kept this one 11 years and >190k miles - best and cheapest car I ever owned1993 Saturn SW2 (hers) - this one had unresolved electrical issues that made driving unsafe - dealer "couldn't find problem.."1996 Chevy Suburban (hers) - kept this one 12 years had >200k miles1964 Rambler 770 Classic (project car - still sitting...) - did I mention still sitting? 2000 Cadillac Sedan DeVille (his - gift from great uncle) Flooded by Katrina1978 Chevy El Camino (was my dads, gave to our oldest boy) Flooded by Katrina, but resurrected and kept on life support - currently replacing fuel pump with one in-tank to feed new fuel injection system.2006 Chrysler 300C (his) - 115k miles and going strong - so far2008 Chevy Suburban (hers) - 58k miles and just paid off!2012 Fiat 500 POP - (My parents won it in a raffle and gave it to our middle boy who is only 15 1/2!) 500 miles and hopefully many more to come